The application of Glehniae Radix  polysaccharides in yoghurt: technology, physicochemical characteristics and probiotic activity

Glehniae radix (GR) is an edible medicinal plant with therapeutic effects. Glehniae radix polysaccharides (GRP) is the primary bioactive component in GR and has garnered significant attention in recent years. The aim of this study was to investigate the formulation and production process of GRP yoghurt and to explore the impact of GRP on the stability of yoghurt. Our research indicates that the optimal technology for GRP yoghurt consists of 0.75% GRP, 8% erythritol, 6.25% whole milk powder (WMP), and 9% sweetened condensed milk (SCM). Correspondingly, storage test results showed that the addition of GRP had a positive effect on yoghurt compared to normal yoghurt: The water holding capacity (62.21% and 60.08%), syneresis (3.95% and 4.18%), hardness (2.75g and 1.99g), and the viable counts of Lactobacillus bulgaricus (2.97×106 and 1.68×106 CFU/g) and Streptococcus thermophilus (2.74×107 and 1.66×107 CFU/g) all remained at superior levels. Therefore, adding GRP is an effective strategy to improve the quality attributes of conventional yoghurt and to extend both its shelf life and probiotic viability. This approach will facilitate the development of functional dairy products and promote the diversified utilization of bioactive polysaccharides derived from traditional Chinese medicine.